Detroit fire chief says arson suspected in blaze that burned down home near Little Caesars Arena

Detroit Fire Department not ruling out arson in house fire that burned down Cass property

A longstanding eye sore on Cass near Temple in downtown Detroit burned to the ground in August. The Detroit Fire Department is not ruling out that arson was the cause of the blaze.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Fire investigators have not ruled out arson as the cause of a blaze that burned down a blighted home in downtown Detroit over the summer.

Detroit Fire Chief James Harris said the department had completed its investigation of the fire and called it suspicious. No source of the fire has been found.

The abandoned home was a smoldering heap by late morning of Aug. 8 after a fire tore through the property. It had previously gained notoriety as being an eyesore that was located next to the Little Caesars Arena site.

Its central location on Cass Avenue made it worth $4 million, the real estate firm Keller Williams told FOX 2 in 2016. And because of its location to other popular spots downtown, the value was expected to increase.

Home on Cass Avenue before and after it burned down.

By the time the home burned down, it had been listed for a whopping $5 million. The city had litigated to have the property removed since 2018, but with no luck. At the same time, parking lots and sports venues rose to dot the Detroit skyline.

Harris said the department believes arson was the possible cause of the fire. There is currently no suspect in the case.

Detroit Crime and Public Safety